diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ccdd13..c25e19a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ Example:
 
     from sanic_jwt.handlers import extend_payload
 
-    def my_foo_bar_payload_extender(authenticator, payload, *args, **kwargs):
+    async def my_foo_bar_payload_extender(authenticator, payload, *args, **kwargs):
         payload = extend_payload(authenticator, payload, *args, **kwargs)
 
         payload.update({
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ Purpose: A handler method used to add scopes into a payload. It is a convenience
 
 Example:
 
-    def my_scope_extender(user, *args, **kwargs):
+    async def my_scope_extender(user, *args, **kwargs):
         return user.scopes
 
 __`SANIC_JWT_LEEWAY`__
diff --git a/example/scopes.py b/example/scopes.py
index 73245f6..863f7bb 100644
--- a/example/scopes.py
+++ b/example/scopes.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async def authenticate(request, *args, **kwargs):
     return user
 
 
-def my_scope_extender(user, *args, **kwargs):
+async def my_scope_extender(user, *args, **kwargs):
     return user.scopes
 
 
diff --git a/sanic_jwt/authentication.py b/sanic_jwt/authentication.py
index 7c06077..7a1f313 100644
--- a/sanic_jwt/authentication.py
+++ b/sanic_jwt/authentication.py
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ def _decode(self, token, verify=True):
     def _get_algorithm(self):
         return self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_ALGORITHM
 
-    def _get_payload(self, user):
-        payload = utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD, self, user)
+    async def _get_payload(self, user):
+        payload = await utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD, self, user)
         # TODO:
         # - Add verification check to make sure payload is a dict with a `user_id` key
-        payload = utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD_EXTEND, self, payload)
+        payload = await utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD_EXTEND, self, payload)
 
         if self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD_SCOPES is not None:
-            scopes = utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD_SCOPES, user)
+            scopes = await utils.execute_handler(self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_HANDLER_PAYLOAD_SCOPES, user)
             if not isinstance(scopes, (tuple, list)):
                 scopes = [scopes]
             payload[self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_SCOPES_NAME] = scopes
@@ -116,14 +116,14 @@ def _get_user_id(self, user):
             user_id = getattr(user, self.app.config.SANIC_JWT_USER_ID)
         return user_id
 
-    def get_access_token(self, user):
-        payload = self._get_payload(user)
+    async def get_access_token(self, user):
+        payload = await self._get_payload(user)
         secret = self._get_secret()
         algorithm = self._get_algorithm()
 
         return jwt.encode(payload, secret, algorithm=algorithm)
 
-    def get_refresh_token(self, user):
+    async def get_refresh_token(self, user):
         refresh_token = utils.generate_token()
         user_id = self._get_user_id(user)
         self.store_refresh_token(user_id=user_id, refresh_token=refresh_token)
diff --git a/sanic_jwt/blueprint.py b/sanic_jwt/blueprint.py
index b1132f0..063c8ba 100644
--- a/sanic_jwt/blueprint.py
+++ b/sanic_jwt/blueprint.py
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 bp = Blueprint('auth_bp')
 
 
-def get_access_token_output(request, user):
-    access_token = request.app.auth.get_access_token(user)
+async def get_access_token_output(request, user):
+    access_token = await request.app.auth.get_access_token(user)
 
     output = {
         request.app.config.SANIC_JWT_ACCESS_TOKEN_NAME: access_token
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async def authenticate(request, *args, **kwargs):
     except Exception as e:
         raise e
 
-    access_token, output = get_access_token_output(request, user)
+    access_token, output = await get_access_token_output(request, user)
 
     if request.app.config.SANIC_JWT_REFRESH_TOKEN_ENABLED:
         refresh_token = request.app.auth.get_refresh_token(user)
diff --git a/sanic_jwt/handlers.py b/sanic_jwt/handlers.py
index 0ecf0f7..96e60a4 100644
--- a/sanic_jwt/handlers.py
+++ b/sanic_jwt/handlers.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from sanic_jwt import utils
 
 
-def build_payload(authenticator, user, *args, **kwargs):
+async def build_payload(authenticator, user, *args, **kwargs):
     if isinstance(user, dict):
         user_id = user.get(authenticator.app.config.SANIC_JWT_USER_ID)
     else:
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def build_payload(authenticator, user, *args, **kwargs):
     }
 
 
-def extend_payload(authenticator, payload, *args, **kwargs):
+async def extend_payload(authenticator, payload, *args, **kwargs):
     delta = timedelta(seconds=authenticator.app.config.SANIC_JWT_EXPIRATION_DELTA)
     exp = datetime.utcnow() + delta
     additional = {
diff --git a/sanic_jwt/utils.py b/sanic_jwt/utils.py
index 8b7f047..1f944f6 100644
--- a/sanic_jwt/utils.py
+++ b/sanic_jwt/utils.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ def generate_token(n=24):
     return str(binascii.hexlify(os.urandom(n)), 'utf-8')
 
 
-def execute_handler(handler, *args, **kwargs):
+async def execute_handler(handler, *args, **kwargs):
     if isinstance(handler, str):
         parts = handler.split('.')
         fn = parts.pop()
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def execute_handler(handler, *args, **kwargs):
         method = getattr(module, fn)
     else:
         method = handler
-    runner = method(*args, **kwargs)
+    runner = await method(*args, **kwargs)
     return runner